North Carolina Accident Reports: Highway Patrol and DMV-349
Who has your crash report, what drivers must report, insurance rules and traffic deaths in North Carolina.
When an accident occurs, the agency that handles the report depends on where the crash took place. Highway Patrol troopers cover close to 80,000 miles of roads, while local police departments respond to crashes within town and city limits. Knowing which agency responded helps you figure out where to request your report and what steps to take next.
Who Has Your North Carolina Crash Report
State law splits crashes by where they happen. Inside a city or town, the local police department takes the call. Outside town limits, it goes to the State Highway Patrol or the county sheriff. Officers write the report on the state crash form, the DMV-349, within 24 hours, and every agency sends its reports to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles.
Highway Patrol reports can be looked up on the State Highway Patrol collision report search by report number, name, driver’s license number, or vehicle plate number. Reports are delivered within 5 to 7 business days, and the search covers Highway Patrol crashes back to May 16, 2013. The copy you find there is not a certified crash report.
Certified copies of any agency’s report come from NCDMV for $6.50 each, a fee set in G.S. 20-42. People involved in a crash receive a redacted copy, with names, addresses, and other personal details hidden. Order it in person at the Raleigh Central Services office, 4121 New Bern Avenue, or the Huntersville License Plate Agency, 12101 Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road, or mail form TR-67A with a check payable to NCDMV to Traffic Records Branch, Crash Reports Unit, 3106 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27697-3106. Mail requests take about 10 business days.
Online DMV ordering is open only to businesses based in or licensed to operate in North Carolina, such as insurers, attorneys’ offices, and private investigators. An unredacted report requires a permitted use under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act. State law makes officers’ crash reports public records.
Don’t want to deal with the forms, or not sure which agency took your report? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.
Police Reports From North Carolina Cities
City departments also release their own reports, and Charlotte and Asheville offer free copies. Start with the department that responded. A few examples of how cities handle it:
| Agency | How to request | Fee |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police | LexisNexis BuyCrash online, or the records desk at 601 E. Trade St. or any division office, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Free at the counter, $9 online |
| Winston-Salem Police | eCrash online search by report number, date, driver name or street, or the Records Division at 725 N. Cherry St. | Free of charge |
| Fayetteville Police | “Get a Crash Report” online search on the department’s Police-to-Citizen site | Set at request |
| Asheville Police | Police-to-Citizen website, redacted copy; licensed businesses send a Crash Report Request Form for an unredacted copy | Free online |
| Raleigh Police | Crash Report Database online for eligible requesters, or visit the Police Records Division at 6716 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27615. | Free online or at the records counter |
Charlotte-Mecklenburg releases reports to drivers, registered owners, and passengers. All recipients must show a government photo ID at the counter. Any of these reports can also be ordered from NCDMV once the department forwards it.
What North Carolina Drivers Must Report
Under North Carolina General Statutes (G.S.) section 20-166.1, the driver in a reportable crash must notify police immediately, by the quickest means available: the city police inside a town, the Highway Patrol or the sheriff outside one. A crash is reportable when anyone is hurt or killed, or when total property damage reaches $1,000 under section 20-4.01.
North Carolina has no separate crash form for drivers to send to the DMV. The officer’s report covers it, and local agencies forward theirs to the DMV within 10 days. If you hit a parked, unattended vehicle, you must get your name, address, license number, the time, date, place, and your plate number to its owner within 48 hours.
North Carolina Insurance Rules After a Crash
Policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2025 must carry at least $50,000 for injury or death to one person, $100,000 for two or more people, and $50,000 for property damage, according to the Department of Insurance. The old minimums were $30,000, $60,000, and $25,000.
Uninsured motorist coverage is required, and every new or renewed policy now includes underinsured motorist coverage. Since the 2025 change, your underinsured motorist coverage is no longer reduced by what the at-fault driver’s liability insurer pays.
North Carolina is a fault state with no personal injury protection requirement, and it keeps the contributory negligence rule. The Department of Insurance puts it plainly: a driver found partly at fault can be barred from collecting damages. Under G.S. section 1-139, the side that raises contributory negligence has to prove it.
North Carolina Traffic Deaths by the Numbers
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 1,732 | 2024 | NCDOT |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 1,565 | 2023 | NCDOT |
| Reported crashes | 285,074 | 2024 | NCDOT |
| Alcohol-related deaths | 348 | 2024 | NCDOT |
| Speed-related deaths | 377 | 2024 | NCDOT |
| Pedestrians killed | 264 (16% of all deaths) | 2024 | NHTSA |
NHTSA keeps its own federal count, which runs lower: 1,619 deaths in 2024 and an early estimate of 1,410 for 2025.
North Carolina Crash Guides by City and County
At Local Accident Reports, we cover accidents from every state in the country. We go county by county, and then city by city, focusing on car crashes, motorcycle wrecks, commercial and residential fires, and every other kind of accident happening across the states.
North Carolina is no exception. With 100 counties and 552 municipalities, there are crashes to report every single day, which we do. But we don’t stop there. We don’t just tell drivers and commuters when and where a crash happened. We also want to help people get to know the cities they drive in, including the most important roads and the most dangerous intersections, so they have a clear picture of what to expect behind the wheel.
Here you’ll find the latest accidents across North Carolina’s counties and communities, along with guides to some of the state’s most important cities.
City crash guides: Charlotte, NC
County accident news: Mecklenburg County · Wake County · Guilford County · Cumberland County · Gaston County · Cabarrus County · Buncombe County · Durham County
Compare nearby states: Southeast crash reports and car accident laws by state · No-fault states and insurance minimums in all 50 states
Questions about getting, reading or correcting a police report? See our accident report FAQ.
Roads and intersections with high crash counts from 2018 to 2022 are listed on our North Carolina dangerous intersections page.
Help After a Crash
- Local Accident Reports. Need a doctor, a body shop, or an injury attorney after the crash? We can connect you with local help. Contact our team.
- North Carolina Crime Victims Compensation Helps pay costs for people hurt by impaired drivers and for families of those killed, since state law counts impaired driving as covered criminal conduct under G.S. section 15B-2. The crash must be reported to police within six months, and the claim filed within two years under G.S. section 15B-11.
- MADD North Carolina Free support for victims of drunk and drugged driving and their families, including help with crime victims compensation claims. 24-hour help line: 877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435).
- 911. Call 911 after a crash for support.
North Carolina Crash Questions
How do I get a North Carolina Highway Patrol accident report?
Search the State Highway Patrol’s online collision report system by report number, name, driver’s license, or plate. Reports usually post within 5 to 7 business days, but that copy is uncertified. A certified copy comes from NCDMV for $6.50.
How do I get a certified crash report from the NCDMV?
Mail form TR-67A with a $6.50 check to the NCDMV Crash Reports Unit in Raleigh, or order in person in Raleigh or Huntersville. People involved in the crash receive a redacted copy, and mail requests take about 10 business days.
Is North Carolina a no-fault state?
No. North Carolina is a fault state, and it follows contributory negligence, so a driver found even partly at fault can be barred from collecting damages from the other driver. Minimum liability coverage is $50,000, $100,000, and $50,000 on policies issued or renewed since July 1, 2025.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in North Carolina?
Three years for injury claims under G.S. section 1-52 and two years from the date of death for wrongful death claims under G.S. section 1-53. A claim against a state agency goes to the North Carolina Industrial Commission within three years, or two years for a death, under G.S. section 143-299.
Recent North Carolina Crash Coverage
Motorcyclist Injured in Two-Vehicle Crash on W Fire Tower Rd in Winterville, NC
Teen Girl Killed Trying to Board School Bus on Bryant Rd in Middlesex, NC
Fatal Three-Vehicle Crash on US 158 in Stokesdale, NC
Pedestrian Seriously Injured in Crash at N Davidson St and E 33rd St in Charlotte, NC
Multi-Vehicle Crash on Ramsey St in Fayetteville, NC
The full archive is at North Carolina accident news, and recent accident alerts follow new crashes nationwide as they are reported.
Local Accident Reports compiles this information from public agency sources and published reports for general reference. It is not legal advice and is not an official police record. Fees, forms and deadlines change, so confirm with the agency before you send a request. Last updated October 2026.